FAMAGUSTA GAZETTE – Hundreds of Palestinian women and children marched through the devastated streets of Beit Lahia on Monday, demanding an end to the ongoing Israeli military offensive and the aid blockade that has left the region in crisis.
Protesters carried placards reading “Enough displacement and homelessness,” “Enough killing and destruction,” and “Stop the bloodshed,” while chanting for peace and security.
“Our demands are simple: to stop the war and to live in peace without the constant fear of death and airstrikes,” said Sumaya al-Ghazali, a 39-year-old mother of four.
The blockade, imposed by Israel since March 2, has halted all humanitarian aid to Gaza. On Friday, the UN World Food Programme announced it had run out of food stocks, while the UN Relief and Works Agency reported that its flour supplies were depleted, leaving 3,000 aid trucks stranded at the border.
Renewed Israeli attacks, which began after a ceasefire ended on March 18, have killed 2,222 Palestinians and injured 5,751 others, according to Gaza health authorities.
Since the war began in October 2023, the death toll has risen to 52,314, with 117,792 injured.
“We want food, flour, and we want the killing to stop,” said nine-year-old protester Ruba Alian. “We have the right to live like other children around the world, to return to school, and to enjoy peace and security.”
Efforts to address the humanitarian crisis remain stalled as border crossings stay closed, exacerbating the suffering of Gaza’s population. The international community faces mounting pressure to intervene and provide relief to the besieged enclave.